Method, cable modem and a device for providing video to a customer premises equipment

Abstract

A method for providing video to a customer premises equipment, the method includes: receiving, by a radio frequency interface of a cable modem, radio frequency signals; receiving by a data tuner out of multiple tuners of the cable modem, radio frequency signals that convey data; detecting, by a monitor of the cable modem, a request to receive a certain video channel that is being broadcasted; wherein the request is sent to the cable modem from a customer premises equipment; tuning a certain tuner out of multiple tuners of the cable modem, in response to a mapping between radio frequencies and video channels, to receive the certain video channel; filtering out data layer encapsulation information that encapsulates certain video channel information; and transmitting certain video channel information to the customer premises equipment.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for providing video to a customer premises equipment, the method comprising:
 receiving radio frequency signals at a radio frequency interface of a cable modem located at a customer premise, wherein the cable modem receives communications from a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) device; 
 receiving by a data tuner out of multiple tuners of the cable modem, radio frequency signals that convey data; 
 detecting, by a monitor of the cable modem, a request to receive a certain video channel that is being broadcast, wherein the request is sent to the cable modem from an internet protocol set top box, wherein the request comprises an Internet group management protocol (IGMP) join request, the IGMP join request comprising a video equipment channel identifier associated with the certain video channel, and wherein the request is for delivery of the certain video channel from the CMTS; 
 based upon mapping data that is received at the cable modem from the CMTS and that comprises a mapping between radio frequencies and video equipment channel identifiers and an identification of the video equipment channel identifier associated with the certain video channel within the mapping data, determining that the certain video channel is being provided to the cable modem; 
 based on the determination that the certain video channel is being provided to the cable modem, tuning a certain tuner out of multiple tuners of the cable modem, in response to the mapping between radio frequencies and video equipment channel identifiers, to receive the certain video channel in a data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) format, wherein the certain tuner is tuned to a radio frequency associated with the video equipment channel identifier associated with the certain video channel according to the mapping data, wherein the certain video channel is retrieved by the cable modem from the QAM device, the QAM device receiving content associated with the certain video channel from a switched digital video source, and wherein the certain video channel is delivered to the cable modem as certain video channel information that is encapsulated with data layer encapsulation information; 
 preventing the request for the certain video channel from being transmitted to the CMTS; 
 removing data layer encapsulation information that encapsulates the certain video channel information at the cable modem to produce an internet protocol video signal at the cable modem; and 
 transmitting the certain video channel information from the cable modem, the certain video channel information comprising the internet protocol video signal produced by the removal of the data layer encapsulation information, and the certain video channel information being transmitted to the internet protocol set top box. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1  comprising receiving the mapping between radio frequencies and video channels from a cable modem termination system. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1  comprising detecting a multicast join request that is associated with the certain video channel. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1  comprising encapsulating the certain video channel information by an encapsulation unit, wherein the encapsulating comprises adding the data layer encapsulation information. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1  comprising determining, by a modulation unit, a carrier frequency of radio frequency carrier waves that carry the certain video channel information in response to the mapping between radio frequencies and video channels. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1  comprising initializing the cable modem; wherein the initializing comprises obtaining a mapping data structure that represents a mapping between radio frequencies and video channels; and obtaining update information indicative of a mapping data structure update. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1  comprising receiving a request to stop a reception of the certain video channel and stopping the removal of data layer encapsulation information that encapsulates the certain video channel information. 
     
     
       8. A cable modem comprising:
 a radio frequency interface for receiving radio frequency signals, wherein the radio frequency interface receives communications from a cable modem termination system (CMTS) and a quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) device; 
 multiple tuners coupled to the radio frequency interface, wherein at least one tuner is tuned to receive data conveying radio frequency signals sent from the CMTS; 
 a monitor that detects a request to receive a certain video channel that is being broadcast, wherein the request comprises an Internet group management protocol (IGMP) join request, the IGMP join request comprising a video equipment channel identifier associated with the certain video channel, wherein the request is sent to the cable modem from a customer premises equipment, and wherein the request is for delivery of the certain video channel over a radio frequency signal sent from the CMTS, wherein the monitor determines that the certain video channel is being provided to the cable modem; 
 a video client that responds to the determination that the certain video channel is being provided to the cable modem and a mapping between radio frequencies and video channels by tuning a certain tuner of the multiple tuners to receive the certain video channel, wherein the mapping between radio frequencies and video channels is based on mapping data received at the cable modem from the CMTS, wherein the certain video channel is received from the QAM device, the QAM device receiving content associated with the certain video channel from a switched digital video source, and wherein the certain video channel is received as certain video channel information that is encapsulated with data layer encapsulation information; 
 a parser, coupled to the certain tuner, that removes data layer encapsulation comprising data over cable service interface specification (DOCSIS) information that encapsulates the certain video channel information; and 
 an internet protocol set top box interface that receives the request to receive the certain video channel and to transmit the certain video channel information in an internet protocol format to the internet protocol set top box. 
 
     
     
       9. The cable modem according to  claim 8  wherein the radio frequency interface receives the mapping between radio frequencies and video channels from the cable modem termination system. 
     
     
       10. The cable modem according to  claim 8  wherein the monitor is configured to detect a multicast join request that is associated with the certain video channel. 
     
     
       11. The cable modem according to  claim 8 , wherein the cable modem prevents a transmission of the request to the cable modem termination system.